"You're following a president, which oftentimes is not an easy act to follow," said John Hudak, a senior fellow of Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute in Washington.

In 2009, then-Louisiana GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal – and rising political star – was skewered for his wooden delivery after Barack Obama's address. His 2016 run for president fizzled months before the first primaries.

In 2013, Sen. Marco Rubio's case of severe cotton mouth prompted the Florida Republican to fumble for a nearby water bottle – all while keeping his eyes oddly fixed on the camera during his response to Obama's speech. The "water bottle moment" lit up Twitter and prompted a "Saturday Night Live" sketch and became a source of ridicule during his presidential run in 2016.

In 2017, former Democratic Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear drew internet snickers by declaring in his speech after Trump's address that he was "a proud Democrat, but first and foremost, I am a proud Republican, and Democrat and mostly, American." Beshear, who had won plaudits for twice winning gubernatorial contests in a red state, has been rarely heard from since then.

"The setting is also so much less impressive than the State of the Union," in which the president addresses a joint session of Congress, Hudak said. "And those optics can really add layers to the way in which a speech is perceived."

Tom Wibberley is recognized by President Donald Trump as he delivers the State of the Union address. His son Craig was killed in the Al-Qaeda terror attack on the Cole in Yemen 18 years ago. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY

Herman Zeitchik is recognized by President Donald Trump as he delivers the State of the Union address. Zeitchik fought on D-Day in the Second World War and stormed the beaches of Normandy and helped liberate Dachau. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY

Congresswomen are recognized by President Donald Trump as he delivers the State of the Union address. The white color choice they wear is meant to honor the women's suffrage movement that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY

Congresswomen are recognized by President Donald Trump as he delivers the State of the Union address. The white color choice they wear is meant to honor the women's suffrage movement that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY

Feb 5, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address from the House chamber of the United States Capitol in Washington. Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are behind Trump. Jasper Colt, Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

Matthew Charles is recognized by President Donald Trump as he delivers the State of the Union address. Charles was one of the first people released fro prison under the First Step Act. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY

Members of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh listen as President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY

Millions of Americans followed Abrams and her spirited campaign last year to become the nation's first black female governor. Her near-win in November (she lost to Republican Brian Kemp by 1.4 percentage points) was viewed as even more remarkable given that she ran in a deep red state.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who invited Abrams to make the response, cited her resonance among working-class families and priority on voting rights as reasons for selecting the former state legislator who is expected to challenge Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., in 2020.

Abrams said she plans "to deliver a vision for prosperity and equality, where everyone in our nation has a voice and where each of those voices is heard."

The concern for Abrams is less an awkward stumble or verbal gaffe than being tagged as part of inside-the-Beltway Democrats and the problems in Washington after an unpopular government shutdown, said Capri Cafaro, a former Democratic member of the Ohio State Senate who now teaches at American University's school of public affairs.

Trump won Georgia in the 2016 presidential election and is likely to win again in 2020. If Abrams is on the ballot, what she says Tuesday to a national audience could reverberate in the Peach State next year, Cafaro said.

A little advice for @staceyabrams as she prepares our Democratic rebuttal:-Be yourself, you’ll crush it-He’ll talk longer than you expect so keep snacks handy-Be the fighter we know you are-Misplace your chapstick-You have millions of Americans standing with youGood luck!

Abrams' appearance "is more advantageous for the Democratic Party (than Abrams herself) because it provides the narrative the Democratic Party wants to show: inclusiveness, opportunity, diversity, gender equality, someone who's outside the Beltway, someone who's already rocked the boat more along the lines within the progressive wing of the party."

In 1985, before the responses were given by a single person immediately after the speech, then-Arkansas Democratic Gov. Bill Clinton moderated an awkward version of a focus group to rebut Ronald Reagan's speech in 1985. Eight years later, he was giving his own State of the Union to Congress.

In this frame grab from video, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio takes a sip of water during his Republican response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Feb. 12, 2013, in Washington, D.C.(Photo: uncredited, AP)